You aren’t feeding your kids MEAT?!

I’m used to people thinking I’m nuts for not eating meat. I’ve accepted that. I remember being around six or seven years old and my family going to a farm to choose a live Turkey to be slaughtered for our Thanksgiving dinner. I cried the entire way there, the whole way home and refused to eat the turkey at dinner. However, my older siblings still tease me because a few days later, I caved and ate a hot turkey sandwich with the rest of my family. I felt like such a failure. But looking back, my parents did not respect my wishes at all and never offered me a vegetarian alternative. This went on an on throughout my childhood. I would declare myself a vegetarian, and be offered a plain bun with mustard or ketchup while the rest of my family had hot dogs. I really didn’t understand how my family and friends could eat animals, while fully understanding that the animals had lived short, brutish lives and experienced torturous deaths. By my teenage years, I had gone full-time vegetarian.

I decided way back then that when I had my own children, I would do the opposite: I would raise them vegetarian until they were old enough to fully understand what they were eating (or “who”) and where it came from. I managed to get Kevin on board with this idea early on in our relationship. The topic of changing my maiden name came up in a casual conversation. I had always said I would keep my maiden name. But instead, we made a deal: I would agree to take Kevin’s last name if we could raise our children vegetarian until they are old enough to decide for themselves – I’m thinking around 8 years old. So, that’s the plan. And every time it comes up in conversation, people still look at me like I’m absolutely nuts. But even my husband Kevin eats vegetarian/vegan at home (he eats meat at his parents house and at restaurants). When we first moved in together, I would make myself a vegetarian meal, and make him a separate meat meal. What I found was that he would be more interested in my meal, and his meat leftovers would rot in our fridge. It was the same as when I lived at home – my teenage brother would eat ALL of my gardein chick’n nuggets, and leave the Costco sized-box of actual chicken nuggets to get freezer burnt. I guess the grass is always greener!

My little future PETA activist!

Recently, we took Chance for his 4 month check up. My usual doctor was away so we were seen by a lovely young female doctor instead. She asked me when I planned to start feeding solids, and I told her around six months (as per the current recommendations). It came up in conversation that I was going to raise him vegetarian, and this doctor said the strangest thing. She said that it was important that we MUST make him try all the different kinds of meat to see if he has an allergy. She said if I wasn’t comfortable cooking it, to ask a friend or family member to do it. Now, I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist, but this kind of caught me off guard. Why would it matter if he’s allergic to meat/chicken/fish if we never cook it and he doesn’t eat it?  Also, if little Chancellor decides to take up eating meat at age eight or nine, couldn’t we just introduce those foods slowly then to ensure he doesn’t have an allergy? I usually don’t question my doctor’s advice, but I’ve decided that I won’t be feeding my kids meat at all, and that is a decision I am allowed to make. I shouldn’t be made to feel like a bad parent for this choice. I’m proud to raise my child and his future brothers and sisters in a mindful, environmentally friendly way. If other people want to feed their kids meat, that’s their business. But I’m sticking to my guns on this one.